Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating 30 years of sailing its whale-tail ships out of New Orleans, Louisiana today.
Port Nola is the sixth largest cruise port in the U.S. and Carnival is the cruise line that most often sails out of the port.
To mark the three-decade occasion, chef Emeril Lagasse joined Carnival executives for a ceremony that included an anniversary cake cutting at 11:00 AM EST today.
“Even before joining the team, I knew well that Carnival has been a great partner to our incredible city. We’ve all seen and enjoyed the growing popularity of cruising from our port over the years, which continues to bring more people here to enjoy all the rich culture our city has to offer,” said the iconic chef. “My restaurants, Emeril’s and Meril, are just a few blocks from the pier, and it’s also special getting to welcome a ship docking here for the first time. We’re proud Carnival Liberty and her great team are now calling New Orleans home.”
Spokesperson for Carnival, Matt Lupoli, said that the company is “appreciative of the great partnership we have in New Orleans.”
“We have sailed nearly 7 million people from New Orleans, and it’s been a great 30 years. We’re looking forward to continued success here,” Lupoli added.
According to a Carnival press release almost seven million passengers have taken a cruise on a Carnival ship out of Port NOLA since 1994.
Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor are currently sailing out of the cruise port known for jazz and jambalaya.
And to strengthen the 30-year history even more, Port Nola will be the homeport for these two ships all throughout the year.
From now until April of 2026, these two ships will offer cruise itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Carnival Valor will offer mostly 4- and 5-night sailings to Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico, while Carnival Liberty will have 6- and 7-night durations, with one 14-night cruise out of New Orleans in November of 2025.
With Carnival Liberty offering longer sailings it will be able to take cruise passengers further south to Belize City and Mahogany Bay in addition to other sailings to the Eastern Caribbean with stops in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
These year-round sailings will provide plenty of opportunities for local residents of New Orleans and the surrounding areas to take affordable cruises any time of year.
According to Nola.com, Carnival Cruise Line accommodates around 400,000 passengers every year who pass through the New Orleans cruise port.
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